Monday, February 13, 2012

Shakin' It Up

Got a call from Hilary at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, and she had experienced her first earthquake. Here's the story:

5.6 quake strikes north state

A magnitude-5.6 earthquake struck northeast of Eureka and was felt in Redding at 1:07 p.m. today. Initial data from the USGS puts it at a depth of 20.4 miles and inland between Eureka and Crescent City. No damage or injuries had initially been reported in Eureka, according to the Eureka Times Standard.

“(At first) it felt like the wind,” said Social Sciences Department office assistant Elmer Rodriguez, a psychology major at Humboldt State University in Arcata. “(Then) it felt like we were bouncing up and down, like a free fall.” The earthquake lasted about 15 seconds, Rodriguez said. He and other university staff, faculty and students took shelter. “I was in the doorway,” Rodriguez said. “Everyone was under their desk.”